Udinese: A Victim of Greed, Globalization, and Giampaoli Pozzo's Neglect

Udinese Calcio are currently languishing neat the wrong end of Italy’s Serie A table, in 17th place and just two points above the relegation zone. Recent years have seen a steady decline from a club that just a few years ago was flirting with European football.

The club is owned by the Pozzo family, headed by Giampaoli Pozzo, an Italian businessman who aims to create a network of intertwining clubs across the continent to work together to achieve success. At least, that was the proposition at first.

For Udinese, this partnership, currently with Watford and formerly with Granada, has seen the Italian side seemingly left to the wayside, whilst the lucrative Premier League side Watford has garnered far more of the Pozzo family's attention.

The Udine native purchased Udinese Calcio back in 1986, and the club has since endured a turbulent time under his tenure. The Pozzo administration began with the Totonero betting scandal, in which the Zebrette were handed a nine-point reduction, relegating them to Serie B. They would soon recover and ascend to the top division, but soon, Pozzo began to earn a murky reputation with backroom deals. In 1990, a phone call between Pozzo and the Lazio president was alleged to be evidence of match-fixing, and Pozzo was banned from holding authority at the club, while remaining as owner. Soon, Udinese developed an extensive scouting network that would rival the best in Europe, and began to qualify for European competitions. As the turn of the millennium approached, stability and fortunes began to creep into the club.